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Tuesday, September 08, 2009

After Crushing Argentina Brazil is ready for Chile

After the historic match played in Rosario,Argentina on September 5,when none of Diego Maradona´s tricks could avoid a humiliating 3-1 defeat on home ground,
the Brazilian national team is now ready to face Chile on Wednesday night in Salvador, the capital of the state of Bahia. The local press is concerned that after its brilliant performance and having qualified for South Africa 2010 the players will have relaxed and is demanding that coach Dunga´s team makes its best effort against Chile, the second placed team in the South American qualifying tournament. The visitors did not get a good result last Saturday since it could only draw 2-2 in Santiago against a weak Venezuelan team. However, not all omens are bleak for Chile since the Brazilian team will be without four of its top players: Kaka, Lucio, Ramires and Luis Fabiano (leading goalscorer in the tournament with nine goals). Luis Fabiano had become a nightmare for Chile since every time the striker had played he had scored, including twice in the first round match where Brazil beat Chile by 3-0. This match is also the twentieth anniversary of one of football´s most controversial episodes. In 1989, Brazil and Chile were competing for a place in Italy 1990, and the ticket had to be decided in a two way tie. The first match ended in a 1-1 draw in Santiago, and there had been plenty of violent prematch declarations by players and coaches of both teams.Even before the match began, a fight occured on the pitch between Chilean players and Romario, the star of the Brazilian team.Also in the first minutes of the match a Chilean defender made aviolent foul on Branco, one of Brazil´s best players, and nearly broke his leg.Instants later Romario tried to punch the Chilean player and ended up being sent off by the referee.

But worst was yet to come in the return match at Maracana Stadium on Sept 3, 1989.Brazil was winning 1-0 and seemed to be heading for a clear victory when a local fan threw a flare onto the pitch. The flare landed very near to Roberto Rojas,the Chilean goalkeeper, that immediately fell on the ground apparently in much pain.Rojas was bleeding from a wound over his eye, and the Chilean players took advantage of the situation and walked off the pitch.

In Santiago, angry fans threw stones at the Brazilian embassy in protest for what they considered an aggression. FIFA ordered a full investigation into the incident and finally discovered that Roberto Rojas had tried to deceive everybody by cutting himself with a shaving blade that was given to him by a member of the Chilean medical staff that went onto the pitch. The outcome of Roja´s behavior was that FIFA instantly gave the victory to Brazil and also banned Chile from the next World Cup that was to be played in USA in 1994.see video